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Dunnage conversion system and method with cohesive stock material

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/647,172, filed Jan. 26, 2005, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein.

This invention relates generally to a dunnage conversion system and method, and more particularly to a dunnage conversion system and method of converting a stock material into a dunnage product.

Dunnage products are commonly used in containers to fill voids and/or cushion an article during transport. Converters heretofore have been used to convert a stock material into a dunnage product as it is needed. Dunnage converters typically draw a sheet stock material from a roll or fan-folded stack for conversion into a dunnage product, such as cushioning, void fill or a wrap. Exemplary dunnage converters are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,968,291; 5,123,889; and 6,676,589. The thus-produced dunnage product can be used as is, or it can be further manipulated, e.g., wound into a coil, to meet different packaging needs. An exemplary coiling apparatus is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,626,813. The entire disclosures of these patents are hereby incorporated herein.

The present invention provides a system and method for making a dunnage product from a stock material having a cohesive on at least one surface. A cohesive, unlike an adhesive, only attaches to itself and generally will not stick to other items, such as non-cohesive-coated portions of the stock material or a conversion machine. As a result, a system and method for making a dunnage product from such a stock material can provide a dunnage product with different characteristics than non-cohesive stock material.

More particularly, the present invention provides a method of making a dunnage product from a stock material having a cohesive on at least one surface thereof. The method comprises the step of converting the stock material into a relatively less dense configuration with at least two cohesive portions of the stock material being attached together to maintain the less dense configuration of the dunnage product. A plurality of superimposed plies of sheet stock material, such as paper, can be used as long as at least one ply includes a cohesive on at least one surface thereof. The stock material can be provided as a roll or a fan-folded stack.

The present invention also provides a combination of a dunnage conversion machine and a supply of stock material that includes a stock material having a cohesive on at least one surface thereof. The conversion machine draws the stock material into the machine for conversion into the dunnage product, with at least two cohesive portions of the stock material being brought together.

According to another aspect of the invention, a length of a dunnage product having a cohesive exposed on a surface thereof is wound into a coil such that cohesive portions on mutually facing surfaces are brought together to hold the dunnage product in a coiled configuration.

The foregoing and other features of the invention are hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description and the annexed drawings setting forth in detail plural illustrative embodiments of the invention, such being indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principles of the invention may be employed.

FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a system in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a roll of sheet stock material for use in the system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of a multi-ply fan-folded sheet stock material for use in the system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a dunnage conversion machine that can be used in the system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view of the internal components of the dunnage conversion machine of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a side elevation view of another dunnage conversion machine that can be used in the system of FIG. 1, with the housing of the dunnage conversion machine partially removed to show the internal components of the dunnage conversion machine.